Re:Verse passage – Exodus 20:16 (day four)
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
There have been numerous studies to determine the amount of times people lie on a daily basis. Yet, most those studies are dependent on the subjects being truthful about how many times they do not tell the truth. Regardless, the facts found in these studies point to one commonality: our culture does not value truth. When children receive a gift they did not like, we have taught them to pretend that they liked it. We give half-truths or expand the truth to make our stories more interesting. We have even devalued truth the point of making truth relative.
Our text this week shows us a different value in truth. As Dr. Aaron Hufty spoke in the vlog, we not only need to look at the negative implications of the command, but also the implications of what the command is freeing us to do. This command is freeing us to both tell and know the truth. Jesus explains this further in John 14, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” To devalue truth is to devalue God whose very being and character are truth. What needs to change in our lives to better reflect our value of truth?
Rick Henderson
Associate Pastor, Youth
Thank you for bringing this commandment back to our relationship with the one who is Truth!
Great to hear from you on the blog!